Everybody's Got Somebody To Lean On
by Franny Moon
Summary: Percy and Oliver meet ten years after their graduation. Percy is feeling out of place and Oliver is being a tease... will get slashy... CHAPTER 2 ONLINE Review, Please...
1. Keep crawling

This is my first Percy/Oliver fic. I just fell in love with the couple last week and decided to write this... I know, I know, I have already a lot of stories going and I should finish them, but I just couldn't resist... What else? Ah yeah, French is still my first language (those kind of things don't change in a day, you know?) and it isn't beta-read, forgive the grammar and other technical mistakes... The title comes from a song of Coldplay; Don't Panic.  
  
To all my reviewers for 'Falling In Love'... They were all so sweet...  
  
Review, please, I can even take flames, even if I prefer constructive criticism...  
  
Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
Oh, yeah, it will get slashy so beware...  
  
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Everybody's Got Somebody to Lean On  
  
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'What am I doing here...'  
  
A simple look around the room was enough to realize that he didn't fit in the cheerful atmosphere. It was all party and laugher and fun. Three words he banished from his vocabulary long ago. When he decided to be serious. When he was rather *forced* to become serious. War had been very hard for him. But wasn't war supposed to be rough on every five year olds? Wasn't war supposed to be tough for everyone?  
  
With a sigh, he realized that once more, the proof of his abnormality was made.  
  
He had a huge pile of paper waiting for him in his office, and he had to lose the major part of his Friday evening here. He absolutely didn't belong here. He knew as soon as he received the invitation card for this ten year reunion. He knew he'd end up alone, feeling totally out of place. Only, he'd never be able to disappoint Dumbledore by not showing up. As a former Head Boy, he still had responsibilities, didn't he? Moreover, he didn't particularly like the idea of adding another name on his 'People I disappointed' list.  
  
"Percy? You're Percy Weasley aren't you?"  
  
Percy regained a stern face and looked up to see the source of the cheery intrusion.  
  
"Yes, it's me. And who may you be?" he said, carelessly straightening his clothes.  
  
He hated clothes, really.  
  
"Aw! C'mon Percy! You just *can't* not remember me." The blonde stranger exclaimed in an annoyingly whiny voice.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
The young woman pouted, feigning disappointment.  
  
"I'm Megan! Megan McMillan! I was in Ravenclaw!" seeing that the look on the former Head Boy's face didn't change, she felt the urge the add: "I was Penny's best friend!"  
  
Penny...  
  
Penelope...  
  
'You'll never love Percy Weasley!'  
  
"Hmm... Percy?" Megan asked, but Percy didn't even hear her.  
  
'You'll never be able to!'  
  
"Percy!"  
  
'Your heart is cold! *You* are cold! You'll never love Percy Weasley!'  
  
"I guess she was right then, bye, Weasley..." Megan muttered quietly, slowly leaving Percy alone with his thoughts.  
  
But these were thoughts Percy didn't like to deal with. And Percy had a perfect control on his mind. Didn't he? No. He didn't. As much as he liked to believe that he did, he did not. So he just pushed them in a dark corner, where they joined so many other unpleasant thoughts, ready to torment him whenever he would feel too alone, whenever it would be too silent.  
  
Shaking his head to clear his mind, he watched with sad eyes the light- haired young woman walking away, joining a smiling man. A smiling man he remembered as a Ravenclaw troublemaker named Cyril Gagnon.  
  
'Canadian.' Percy thought ' I took a total of 150 points from Ravenclaw because of him.'  
  
Seeing how in love they obviously were, Percy thought that 'Cyril Gagnon' and 'Megan McMillan' were two names he could add to his ' Happy People' list.  
  
Percy loved lists. Lists are organized, followed carefully, important. Lists are straight.  
  
Lists always were everything Percy wished to be.  
  
"Hey! Percy !Is that really you? Wow! You didn't change one bit!" The newcomer's eyes fell on Percy's slender waist. "Well maybe a bit..."  
  
Percy looked up and found himself gazing at a former Hufflepuff, Joshua Thompson. He stood up and offered his right hand. The young man vigorously shook it, patting Percy's shoulder. Percy closed his eyes at the touch...  
  
Human touch...  
  
Warm human touch...  
  
It's been so long...  
  
A very faint smile crossed the red-haired boy's lips.  
  
"Hello Joshua." He simply said, regaining a strict tone and a straight face.  
  
"C'mon Percy! I always told you, you could call me Josh!"  
  
Joshua always was the second best student of their year behind Percy. Far behind, but he was still second. They were often brought to work together. Josh always was a very social and enthusiastic boy.  
  
'He broke only 5 rules in first year and never did it again. A wonder he wasn't chosen as a Prefect...' Percy thought.  
  
Seeing that Percy wasn't about to answer, Josh went on.  
  
"So, you work at the ministry?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Great... great, I always knew you'd make it to the ministry! I myself work as a reporter for the Daily Prophet."  
  
"Interesting."  
  
"Yeah... So, you're married?"  
  
Percy winced.  
  
"No."  
  
"Really? You and that Clearwater girl were such a great couple! Too bad!"  
  
Clearwater...  
  
Penelope...  
  
Cold...  
  
Percy shook his head, pushing the dark memories aside for the second time in ten minutes.  
  
"Yeah... too bad.."  
  
"...Well, I have a lot of people to see... have a nice evening, Percy..."  
  
Percy sighed and sat back. He really had no silk for conversations. He wasn't stupid, he saw how Joshua's uneasiness grew as the conversation went. All by his fault. Because of his direct one-word answer. It didn't matter that much, though. He never really liked the boy. In fact he couldn't recall someone he really liked during his schooling. Sure, there had been Penny, but it just wasn't the same thing.  
  
Percy spotted Marcus Flint in the crowd and frowned. Flint surely was at the top of his 'People I disliked in school' list. He used to be such an unpleasant, brainless idiot. Rude and mocking. Now he almost seemed kind. But perhaps it was just because his teeth were straightened...  
  
Who was he trying to fool. Everyone had changed. Everyone except him. He was still boring and rigid perfect Percy.  
  
He suddenly stood up. Enough of this! This reunion was turning him into a pathetic idiot. He'd done more than the quick manifestation he first planned to do. A cold and dark office was waiting for him, he had a quite tick pile of papers and contracts to read, a couple of report to approve and half a dozen owls to send. He never bothered to lit the fireplace, it was too much trouble, a waste of time when there as so much to do. Another sleepless night would straighten his mind for sure, he'd be reminded that he had no time for pointless self-pitying.  
  
"Oliver! You came!" the happy scream reached Percy's ear and he paled.  
  
Wood... Oliver Wood...  
  
'Wood, Oliver, he lost Gryffindor a total of 340 points, mostly because of this bad habit of his for sneaking out at night and for fighting in the corridors with Slytherins. However... However, I never took points from him..." Percy's mind was racing.  
  
The only person he could never get himself to add to his 'People I disliked in school' list was standing few meters away from him.  
  
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To Be Continued In Chapter Two... Review??  
  
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	2. Sarcastic Mister Know it All

Hey... Franny Moon there... I'm SO sorry about how long it's been since I posted chapter one. I didn't realised that so much time passed. I'm so busy between school and my job (urgh... I hate my job;_;) I NEVER even thought about giving up on this story! I love this pairing WAY too much. ^_~ So read and tell me what you think!  
  
Harry Potter is J.K. Rowling's.  
  
The original characters (Joshua, Morgan and Cyril) are just there for the sake of the plot ...so yeah, steal them if you feel like it ^_~  
  
Everybody's got somebody to lean on  
  
« Oliver! You came! »  
  
«Of course I came Leslie! Wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world! » he replied with a wide grin, he then made a very calculate pause and added «Except maybe a Quiddich game. »  
  
«Oh! Ol! You didn't change one bit!»  
  
He smiled widely.  
  
«I know, I know.»  
  
He walked further into the large room.  
  
'You're such a Ladies' Man, Wood' he thought, amused, as Leslie's lovelorn sigh reached his hears.  
  
Yeah well, that's what they wanted to see wasn't it.  
  
«Hey Wood! Is that you? Wow, it's been a long time! »  
  
«Oh Cyril! Yeah, I believe we didn't see each other since graduation! So, how've been things for you?" I asked.  
  
«Absolutely great I got a job as a Medi-Wizard actually. Oh and remember that cute Ravenclaw girl I had a crush on back in seventh year?» he said with a blush.  
  
He smiled. Cyril Gagnon was a very nice bloke. Pity he never got to know him better. He was unfortunately not the only one Oliver neglected back in his school days...  
  
«Megan McMillan?» he asked after a few seconds of reflections.  
  
He smiled brightly.  
  
«Yeah! We got married five years ago. » he said, showing his wedding ring.  
  
Oliver felt a pang in his heart... Twenty-seven and still single... what a shame...  
  
«Congratulations! Wow! »  
  
«I know...»  
  
Megan arrived and interrupted them with her high-pitched voice.  
  
«Hey guys! Oh! Hi Oliver! What were you two talking about?»  
  
«About you of course Honey» Cyril kissed his wife on the cheek and she giggled.  
  
«Hey Cyril!» came a male voice from behind him.  
  
Oliver turned around and recognized a former Hufflepuff.  
  
«Josh!» exclaimed the Canadian boy, clasping his old friend in the back.  
  
«Hey Oliver! Hey Megan!» he greeted, grinning cheekily. «So you guys were catching up?»  
  
«Exactly, I was just about to tell Oliver how happy I was that he came. This meeting just wouldn't be the same without our Gryffondor boy.» said Megan.  
  
Oliver's smile disappeared. His features hardened considerably.  
  
«What about Percy?» objected Joshua. « I'm sure you don't mean to be rude Morgan, but Oliver wasn't alone in his dorm.»  
  
'Yeah! What about Percy!' roared Oliver's mind furiously though a small part of him was happy Josh defended the redhead.  
  
Megan sighed loudly.  
  
«I Know, I know...»  
  
«Plus, I saw him earlier and I'm sure the guy could use some company, he looked a little weird.»  
  
Oliver's eyes widened.  
  
'He's here? He came?' he thought.  
  
«You mean weirder than usual." snorted the blond-haired young woman.  
  
«Aw... come on Megan, Percy isn't that bad.» said Cyril, squeezing his wife's shoulder.  
  
«You never dated him!»  
  
This made Josh and Cyril laugh. Oliver though, stayed silent registering every information.  
  
«Well you neither, Hun.» chuckled the Canadian.  
  
Megan blushed and replied:  
  
«I know, but Penny did though, and she told me loads of stuff about him. Makes me happy they broke it off after graduation! I thought she was just exaggerating ten years ago but when I talked to him earlier he was just so... weird.»  
  
«You...you talked to him too?» blurted Oliver.  
  
Inside, his mind was boiling.  
  
Percy. His Percy was here... and probably single! Oh... he was going to have so much fun! Oliver was now much more courageous than he used to be. It was the perfect occasion to tell his cute redhead a lot of things that shouldn't have been left unsaid.  
  
Percy had always been his... he just never knew it.  
  
A wide smile spread on Oliver's lips.  
  
«Yeah, *I* talked to him. He, on the other side didn't talk much.» she harrumphed.  
  
«And how was he, did he change much?» Oliver asked with rapt curiosity.  
  
Joshua smiled and answered:  
  
«He didn't change one bit. Same red hair, same pale skin, same freckles. He's just a much taller and much skinnier version of his seventeen years old self, really.»  
  
Hair as bright as the sunlight... Skin as pale as the moonlight... And his freckles... well his freckled were just really cute...  
  
Oliver chuckled to himself. He couldn't wait. Though...  
  
«How could he get any thinner?» asked Megan with a bit of jealousy in her voice.  
  
Oliver was quite horrified to see that he was thinking the same thing as *Megan*.  
  
He still remembered fairly well how the redhead would consider a glass of orange juice a breakfast.  
  
'Tsk... tsk' he thought. He had lots of great idea about how to make his Percy eat a little more... What about whipped cream? Chocolate sauce? Mmh... Oliver definitely couldn't wait!  
  
Joshua shrugged.  
  
«Don't ask me. I just hope he's taking care of himself. I always considered him as a friend even though he was rather cold all of the time.»  
  
Cyril embraced his wife.  
  
«You can't deny it, Megan. Everybody pretend that they don't care about Percy, but I'm sure he helped you at least once back in school. *I* know he helped me with Arithmancy quite a few times.» He said with a chuckle.  
  
Megan pouted.  
  
« I hate to admit it but your right. He helped find my way me trough the corridors of this schools countless times... and... and even Penny told me in one of our letter that Percy was a great guy and maybe she *did* exaggerate...»  
  
Joshua raised an eyebrow.  
  
«It seems like it was common knowledge that the two of them broke up after graduation. I didn't know. I talked to him about it and he almost looked hurt.»  
  
«Well it *was* common knowledge, Josh. After all, Penelope's screams were so loud I think they could be heard in the whole castle!» said Cyril. «No wonder he looked hurt. You would've too if you were him. After everything she told him. But I think she wrote to him to apologize. I hope she did... poor guy... »  
  
«My... was it that bad?»  
  
«It was... and you know Percy. He's the kind of guy who'd think about it over and over.» answered Oliver, lowering his gaze. «I'm happy Penelope came back to her senses and apologized.»  
  
«Talking about meeee??»  
  
Oliver jumped and turned around.  
  
«Penelope!» he exclaimed, his eyes widening.  
  
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That's the end of chapter two! And I promise chapter three will be online soon! I promise ^^;;;;;; 


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